A Life in Reverse
by Angel981
Summary: Sometimes a smile can mean more than words ever can. After all, a smile is how I met a certain Redhead. Modern AU. Please Read and Review! - Angel
1. Chapter One

Chapter One:

A smile is worth more than words can ever mean to me.

It's quick, easy, and distracting. Oh so very distracting.

I of all people should know. After all, a single moment was all that was needed to see that brilliant smile of hers. A single moment to long.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

The band 'Good With Grenades' was currently blasting through my earbuds as I took the time to dance with my mop. I sang along to the song, not missing a single word. My foot tapped (or maybe the correct term was stomped) along with the drummers beat, keeping count to the songs tempo.

"_Two single hearts on fire – currently on the wire!"_

The checkered, tiled floor of my kitchen was getting cleaner with every step I danced, and I knew it would soon begin to sparkle (hopefully literally) if I kept dancing. That is, if the mop didn't tire of me using it as a dance partner first.

"_As inhibitions fade – a focused moment made!"_

I twirled, dipping the mop as if it were another being. And, I flashed it a rather dazzling (or so I've been told) smile. It stared up at me blankly, unimpressed.

"_Bruises and bite-marks say, takes one to bring the pain!"_

Raising the mop back up, my smile faltered. I was dancing… with a** mop**. If this wasn't weird, I didn't know what was.

"_You're in a place for fear – Lips are for biting here!"_

Sighing, I fished my IPod out of my pocket – turning it off. Removing my earbuds, I wrapped them up and stuffed them into my pocket. Music was making me a tad weird again.

Not that being weird wasn't fun or anything, but people tend to look at you weirdly when you smile at inanimate objects and pretend they're human too.

I ran a hand through my platinum blonde bangs, walking over to the small supply closet to put the mop away. The floor was clean enough – for now. I'd have to finish my number with Mr. mop another day.

After making sure my unofficial dance partner was placed snuggly into the little closet, my topaz eyes scanned the area around me as I listed off everything that needed doing or _had_ needed doing. _**'Dishes? Check. Laundry? Done. Counters/tables/etc.? Yup. Floors are clean and clear of debris… I honestly think that's everything.'**_

Nodding to myself in satisfaction, I smirked. A clean house always left you feeling tired, but accomplished. Or was that just me? It wouldn't surprise me if it was.

After all, I was more than just a little weird.

I made my way over into the living room, marveling the softness of the white carpet against my bare feet. Falling forward, I landed on the plush carpet with a _'poof'_, nuzzling the lengthy strings that made it up with my face.

I sighed mirthfully, a grin tugging its way at my lips. _**'It's a good thing I vacuumed.'**_

I inhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet, powder-fresh scent of carpet cleaner. _**'Cause it doesn't smell like cats anymore.'**_

It was true. Just earlier that day it had smelled like twenty cats had used it as personal bedding. Then again, I owned at least five cats. So, I would have to vacuum again sooner or later.

But, it was worth it.

'_**Ah, speak of the devil, and he doth appear.'**_ I thought, watching as one of my cats padded up to me. It was Sebastian, a sleek, black cat whose snowy white underbelly was as soft as it looked. I turned my head to the side to get a better view of him, staring straight into those beautiful, emerald eyes of his. He stared right back, pausing briefly.

The tom surveyed me for a moment before giving a small hop and landing softly on the back of my shoulders. He prodded my back with his two front paws, as if giving me a tiny massage. Or maybe he was actually tenderizing me so he could try and eat me later in the night, when I was unaware of his intentions…

The thought was enough to make me shiver, but I refrained. Mustn't let him know I'm aware of his soon-to-be dastardly deed…

However, I couldn't help the fact that my eyes narrowed in suspicion. _**'I swear, if this cat actually tries to take a single bite out of me… I'll freeze him from the inside out... I'd have to figure out how, though…'**_

The cat plopped down onto my back, and I felt him curl up into a purring ball of fur.

'_**Or maybe he just wanted to make sure his soon-to-be bed was soft enough.'**_

Giving a huff of laughter, I let my fingers comb through the carpet – pretending it was Sebastian's fur. After all, reaching back and petting him would be kind of an awkward position for my arm. So, the carpet would have to do.

… As odd as it seemed.

I gave a content sigh, my lips twitching up into a smirk. Maybe my cat didn't think of me as on oversized mouse after all. Thank goodness.

I frowned. _**'Wait a moment… maybe this is all a part of his evil, mastermind plot!'**_

I gasped, my eyes widening. I quickly moved away from him, though I was careful to knock him off my back first, doing a simple combat tuck-and-roll to the other side of the room. "You bastard!" I growled, grabbing ahold of the nearest object.

He merely stared at me, his gaze showing both shock and confusion… if cats could show that much emotion. I was probably imagining it all, but oh well.

I held the… what was it again? I glanced down at the object for a second, to see what I had grabbed. A remote control. My brow drew together in confusion, the corners of my mouth falling down into a slight frown. _**'What the hell is this doing in here? This is the remote to the TV in my gaming room…'**_

I sighed once more, shaking my head. _**'I really am quite forgetful. No wonder I couldn't find it last night.'**_

It had freaked me out though. I had thought that a robber might have broken in and stolen it. Then again, why pass up the games, X-box, TV, and other expensive items – just for a remote?

That's what had knocked some sense into me.

Climbing to my feet, I glanced once more at Sebastian. He was busy nodding off – now in the corner of the, surprise, also-white couch. Lazy bastard. Or maybe just sleepy. Either way, I highly doubted he _actually_ wanted to eat me.

Well… not _that_ highly.

Twirling the remote in my hand, I began humming the song I had been listening to just minutes before as I turned to walk into the hall. However, I didn't get but a few steps.

Out of nowhere, my phone began to buzz, playing the background music to _'Animal I have become'_ by Three Days Grace. I squealed – rather loudly, might I add – jumping at least a foot in the air at the sudden sound. I'm surprised my head didn't hit the ceiling, actually…

Blushing furiously in embarrassment, though no one was around to see, I dug my phone out of my pocket to see who was calling. Or what had come up.

Well, considering how it was set up as my ringtone, I should have already assumed someone was calling. My alarm tone was _'Bulls in the Bronx'_ by Peirce the Veil.

Both had very different instrumentals, so it should have been easy enough for me to tell the two apart.

I checked the caller ID before answering the phone. I didn't exactly want a repeat from the last time I took a call from a blocked number. The person hadn't even waited for me to say, 'Hi'. The moment I picked up the phone, they proceeded to talk – not even checking to make sure the number they called was correct. "The jobs done…" They had said. "…But the place is covered in blood… It's going to take days to clean it up…"

And the line had gone dead, leaving me listening to silence.

It had scared the hell out of me. I mean, I know it was probably a prank… but… I still got a new phone number the next day. Just a precaution. Or maybe I was just being paranoid. It defiantly wouldn't be a first.

Reading the bolded, black letters located just under the picture of my boss, I smirked. It was the marshmallow man himself.

I answered the phone, doing my best to stifle my laughter. "And what do I owe the pleasure of this call, Marshall? You know I don't come into work until eight."

"I know." He hummed in response, his voice pleasant to the ear even over the phone. Marshall was at least six foot seven, and looked tough enough to take an entire football team out with one swing. His black as coal hair and sharp, icy eyes didn't help but emphasize that fact. However, his looks kept most girls fawning over him and visiting his pizza shop daily.

Apparently he reached an eleven on a handsomeness scale of one to ten. Kind of like the Old Spice guy. So overly good looking, it was criminal. Or so Ariel kept sighing to Snow the other day.

However, his tough-as-nails looks didn't fool anyone. He was a big marshmallow at heart. Hence, his nickname.

"So, what's up? Olaf hasn't actually managed to burn down the shop already, right?"

The man on the other end chuckled. "No, no. Nothing like that. I was wondering if you'd be able to come in an hour early today. It's Friday, so there's bound to be plenty of extra orders. What do you say?"

I glanced at my black wristwatch. Three PM. "Sure, I mean, class starts in an hour, but it ends at around five thirty – maybe five forty five. I'm pretty sure I can make it – maybe even an hour and a half early."

"Thanks a lot, Elsa. Don't worry; I'll pay you for your overtime." He actually sounded relieved. "Jasmine's sick, so you may have a few more deliveries than usual tonight. Do you want me to call Merida in to help out?"

"You called me before your favorite, fiery Scotswoman? I'm touched." I chuckled. "But, to answer your question, only if we get a pretty large number of orders. Then again, better safe than sorry. Do what you think is best. After all, you're the boss."

I could almost feel him smirking through the phone. It was obvious from the laughter bubbling in his voice. "If you say so. Thanks again, Elsa. I'll bump your pay up a couple of dollars for tonight. Bye."

"See you, Marshmallow man."

He didn't bother correcting me, he just hung up. He must have been in a pretty good mood. Then again, when wasn't he?

I glanced at my watch once more, wondering whether or not I'd be able to jump on my X-box for a bit before heading to class. Slaughtering a few Stormcloak rebels always did put me in a good mood. However, if I wanted to be on time, the legion would have to wait for my help until later. Damn. I was almost to the point where we took over Windhelm too.

Oh well – what could I do?

After putting the remote back into its rightful place – on the coffee table in my _gaming_ room – I gather everything I would need for my architect class. It wasn't much, just some tools, notes, and a binder full of ideas and measurements I would need.

Locking the door behind me, I was ready to go. _**'Unless, of course, a dragon finds it necessary to attack me and destroy my home. Or the rebels attack me directly in the real world so they can win the war and take the throne for Ulfric. Damn, that wouldn't be good… And neither is babbling to myself on impossible things – like Skyrim ending up in the real world and going after you personally. You, my dear Elsa, have been playing way too much Skyrim. You're taking a break tonight and playing Lollipop Chainsaw. Or Halo. Call of Duty?'**_

She hummed thoughtfully, slipping into her sleek, black Civic and starting it up. _**'I don't know. I should probably play something a tad more peaceful, since my minds on war and such **_**because **_**of those gore-filled games. What about Zelda? I could pull out my old Nintendo 64 just to play Majora's Mask… Or Mario Cart. I'd have to hook my GameCube back up, then… I'll just stick with Zelda, if I'm not too worn out by the time I get home tonight.'**_

Nothing like the classics.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

I had five minutes to get to class, so I was basically booking it down the hall. _**'Left, right, right, right, left, left, straight, first door on the right? No, no… Right, left, right, right, left, right, straight and then the door on the right… Right…? … By Sithis, I've been here how many times in the past year, and I still have trouble finding my class.'**_

I frowned. Sithis? For starters, why was I thinking like how the Dark Brotherhood speaks? Secondly, Wasn't I trying to avoid Skyrim the rest of the night? Maybe the gods of the game were trying to tell me something… reaching out and speaking through my thoughts… drawing me to the remote as if to say, 'Help us, dear Dragonborn'… By Talos, I would answer this call. Only, later.

Wait, what about Legend of Zelda? Damn, Link was going to cry when he heard that I had chosen Skyrim over him… I really didn't want him to cry… Dammit, why can't choosing games be easy?

I sighed, rounding a corner rather quickly. Thing was, I didn't look before I did. So I basically ended up barreling into – or rather, _over_ – some poor redhead who was unlucky enough to be right in my path.

My notes and books went flying everywhere, and I ended up sprawled on top of a random stranger. Great. I cursed – not so silently might I add – at the sudden mishap. I was going to be late for class _and_ I was basically molesting the chick under me – that is, if my hand ended up where I'm pretty sure it was.

Gratefully, when I did a sort-of half push-up, I found that it wasn't. Not to mention that the hall was completely deserted. I'd be sure to thank God later for this run of good fortune to cover my ass from all my sudden bad luck.

Rolling off of the girl as quickly as I could, I immediately began apologizing for my lack of common sense – or was it direction? Either way, I basically knocked her down as if she were a bowling pin. "I'm so sorry!" I gasped, scrambling to my feet – only to drop back down to my knees mere seconds later to clamber after all my strewn things. "I really was **not** paying attention to where I was heading. I should have looked before leaping, you know."

I glanced over at the girl – noting the bright red hair and adorable freckles scattered across her face – who was staring right back at me with curious, teal eyes. She hadn't really gotten up but, rather, sat up and was now watching me being a clumsy idiot.

I flushed slightly, nearly tripping and face-planting once more. "I swear," I mumbled as I ducked my head, stuffing a few more papers into my folder, "I'm not usually this awkward when moving around."

'_**I am during social encounters, though**_.' I added silently.

The redhead covered her mouth, giggling as she rose to help me pick up the rest of my things. A minute or two later, it was all safely – for the most part – tucking into my binder not-so-neatly.

"Thanks," I sighed checking my watch. A minute until class. I suppose being late was going to be unavoidable. Oh well.

I glanced up – actually, down – at the girl in front of me. The corners of her mouth grew up into a cute grin as she twirled one of her braids around a finger. "No problem. Don't be late."

With that, the girl turned and sauntered away, hip swaying slightly as she left.

**Hey Guys! Sooooooooo, whatcha think? I promise, it will get more in-depth in later chapters. Y'all are gonna love the ending ;)**

**Anyway, updating…. I'll TRY to do it every Saturday or Tuesday if I can. With that, please review!**

**Angel**


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

Shutting the door to the pizzeria behind me, I beamed at the people waiting in the shop for me. Marshal grinned right back, giving a small wave as soon as his hands were free of the dough he had been tossing around. "I thought you said an hour and a half." He rumbled, smirking.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "I said I would if I could. I'm here, and that's what counts, right?"

He laughed, and a head full of white hair peeked around the corner that led to the kitchen. "Elsa? Is that you?" He asked cautiously, looking me up and down. "You haven't become a zombie, have you?"

There are three things one should know about Olaf. First, he's quite clumsy everywhere _but _the pizzeria – as odd as that is. Second, he believes in zombies and how they're going to take over the world. I honestly think he just spent way too much time playing Left4Dead at a young age, and it rubbed off on him permanently. Third…

I sighed, though I was still smiling. "No, Olaf, I'm not a zombie. I don't think they even have the thought to work out how to open a door. They'd probably just try and beat it down with their heads."

The younger boy took a moment consider my words before a great, big smile split across his face. He rushed towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist in a tight, warm embrace. "I missed you! I honestly thought the zombies might've gotten ahold of you!"

That would be three. He loved warm hugs.

I laughed, ruffling his hair. "I see. But, you don't have worry about me. You know I could take on any old zombie any day of the week. Except in the mornings. I'd be too groggy to even try and fight back. I'm only a morning person _after_ I've inhaled either a cup of tea or hot chocolate."

"Noted!" He chortled, escaping back into the kitchen. "But, you should probably work on that. One certainly would hate it if a certain blonde got her brains eaten out by the undead. I'd much rather shout 'I told you so!' in your face."

I rolled my eyes once more. "Jeesh, how do you put up with that both day _and_ night, Marshmallow man? I can barely stand five minutes of his zombie ravings!"

It wasn't true. I just liked tormenting the little guy – just a enough to get a reaction. Besides, his antics rubbed off on me a long time ago. After all, I kept about five different melee weapons hidden around my house and work out about every other day because of his ramblings. When the weapons would fail me in my battle against the undead, I would need the stamina to run away and scale a building.

"_Hey! I heard that!"_ Came the somewhat faded cry of protest. From the sounds of it, Olaf was digging around in the pantry for more ingredients.

Marshal gave a rumbling laugh, shrugging. "We're brothers, Elsa. We have to put up with each other."

I shrugged, pulling my black beanie down further onto my head. "I wouldn't know, after all, my mom and da kind of died before my little sister could be born…"

Silence enveloped the room, save the rummaging and cursing from Olaf. It was one of those not-quite uncomfortable yet not-quite comfortable silences. The kind that could turn either way if left unattended too long…

Thankfully, the door opened – accompanied by a rather rambunctious Scotswoman's voice. "Oy! Guess who's 'ere boys an' lass!"

An arm slung itself around my neck, and I grinned, glancing over at my also-beaming friend. "I don't know – is it Esmerelda perhaps? Or maybe even Ariel? You do have her hair… only a tad… What's the word? Frizzier."

Merida wrinkled her nose in distaste, shaking her head. "Guess again, Els." The girl stated, using the nickname only my closest of friends could call me. Well, all my closest friends except Marshal and Meg. Marshal preferred 'Elsa' to 'Els', and Meg called me 'Ice Queen'.

Honestly, I think it was because it was a nickname I gained when I gave everyone the 'cold shoulder' for the first three months of college. I was the antisocial, well, Ice Queen that ignored everyone and almost everything except the teacher and my notes.

But, just look at me now! I'm still a little uncomfortable – meaning extremely shy – around strangers, but, once you get to know me, I tend to be a tad weird. Then again, isn't everyone?

I giggled, pulling the redhead into a hug. "It's nice to see you again, Merida. How's the family?"

"The usual." The Scot sighed. "Mum's still a pain in the rear but scares the hell outa ever'one. Brothers are still makin' trouble. An' meh da's still loud as ever."

I shrugged. "Family. You put up with them, you fight them, but you still love one another to death in the end."

The redhead laughed heartily, still grinning from ear-to-ear. "Tell me 'bout it!"

Pulling back from my friend, I turned back to Marshal. "Anyway, back onto track, have you gotten any calls in yet? Or need I actually help out with the cooking as we wait? I mean, I can make a decent pizza, but not nearly as well as you or Olaf, but still–"

I kissed the tips of my fingers, throwing the same arm out in an exaggerated motion. "It's pretty damn perfect, no?" I spoke, mimicking an Italian accent.

Both Marshal and Merida snorted, causing me to grin. However, my smile quickly faltered. "Wait, was I supposed to use a French accent? Or was Italian correct?"

"I honestly think you should have used a French one." Olaf responded, walking back into the room – arms loaded with tomatoes, mushrooms, peperoni, basil, and a few other distinct toppings.

"Really?" I hummed, imitating the accent just for his amusement. "I would've never known without your input, _Monsieur_."

Olaf giggled – _giggled_, I swear! – as he continued to wherever he was going. Merida brushed past me – hurrying to help the clumsy boy.

I walked the rest of the way up to the front counter, my attention finding Marshal once more. "Anyway, back to my original question. Am I delivering for now or cooking?"

"I haven't had any calls yet, but –" He was cut off by the ringing of the phone.

The corners of my mouth quirked up. "Is that, perhaps, our so very wanted orders? Or is it Ariel and Snow again?"

Shooting me a quick 'Shut the hell up', my boss put on a cool face. His voice was pleasant and warming. "Thank you for calling my pizzeria. This is Marshal. How may I help you tonight?"

A few moments passed that involved him nodding and writing down the customer's order and address.

A certain Scot cursed loudly – drawing my attention from my boss to her. After having helped Olaf with his pile of toppings, it looked as if they were now in a violent battle… one of the most fearsome, repeated clashes known to man. Rock, paper, scissors.

The redhead had just lost – for what seemed like the tenth time in a row from the tally Olaf was keeping on the dry-erase board. "I'll get yeh soon enough, yeh ole bear!"

I giggled at my friends' 'fighting'.

"Thank you sir, your order will be there at your requested time." Marshal hummed, hanging up the phone. His eyes slid over to me, and he smirked. "Guess who gets to deliver ten pizzas to a _party_, Elsa."

My smile instantly faded. _**'He wouldn't… He knows how I hate crowds! I can barely deal with college… A party would be murder…'**_

A moment of silence followed his question as I stared at him. My mouth suddenly felt like cotton – dry. I swallowed as best as I could before speaking. "Merida, I would hope… after all…. Sending me there would be considered cruel and unusual punishment, I would think."

The man shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "_You_ are going to deliver them. One, you need to get better around people. Two, you've called me 'Marshmallow man' twice today. And, three, the man asked for an extra cute girl to deliver them."

"Yeh are amazingly adorable!" Merida called over to me, covering her mouth as she snickered.

A blush spread across my face, and I dragged my beanie down even further, giving in to one of my many nervous ticks. This one tended to show when I wore hats, mainly due to the fact it involved them. I've ruined quite a few good fedoras from tugging on them, so I tended to stick with wearing hats without a fixed shape. "… Do I have to?" I mumbled, my gaze finding its way to my feet. "I mean, just brush Merida's hair and put a bow in it, and she could be at _least_ somewhere half as adorable as you're making me sound."

"Oy!" The Scot protested, tossing a pencil in my general direction. "I can be ten times as adorable as yeh – _without _the bow!"

"_You_ are delivering the pizzas, Elsa." Marshal stated firmly. "But, he doesn't want them until seven. So, you have some down time until then. Go make sure the dough machine is clean before actually preparing the dough. As for you Merida…"

He turned towards the Scotswoman. "You get to help Olaf prepare the toppings. After all, I know how much you enjoy sharp objects. I'll start on the sauce."

Merida made a sound of appreciation, dragging the smaller boy with her over to the counter full of the said toppings.

I sighed, making my way over to the rest of them. "Leave me with the most hated job, why don't you?" I grumbled.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

I hummed along to the catchy tune of 'Next Contestant' by Nickelback, turning up the radio a few notches.

"_I judge by what she's wearing, just how many heads I'm tearing –"_

I tapped my index finger on the soft, leather-covered steering wheel of my car to the tune.

"– _off of -holes coming onto her! Each night seems like it's getting worse!"_

If one listened carefully enough, you could tell the radio station had edited the song so that it was at least somewhat clean. I slowed to a crawling pace, reading each address carefully.

"_I wish she'd take the night off, so I don't have to fight off –"_

I glanced back up at the road, my gaze sweeping the area in front of me cautiously. I'd hate to hit a cat or some small dog if it suddenly darted out in front of me.

"– _every -hole coming onto her. It happens every night she works!"_

"Well, I can see where having her as a girlfriend gets to be a bit annoying." I muttered to myself, turning the radio down completely as I parked in front of the correct home.

Reaching over to the passenger side, I opened the glove box compartment and pulled out a pair of black, leather gloves. You know, just in case I needed to commit murder.

Some of the customers tended to get a bit 'handsy' if given the slightest chance.

… Okay, that's a lie. The gloves weren't for murder. They were to protect my hands from the heat of the pizza when I walked it up to the house to hand them over.

I pulled them on, grabbed all ten of the pizzas, and stepped out of my car.

My breath fogged in the cool night air, and I was immensely glad I had chosen to wear a scarf and a hat. I'd hate myself in the morning if I got frostbite and lost a finger or something. I snorted at the thought. _**'Frostbite? I know it's the end of fall, but I doubt that it's cold enough for something like that to occur.'**_

Kicking the car door shut with my foot, gently of course, I made my way up to the house. Music blared from the inside, beating against both the walls of the house and the night air. However, it was extremely muffled. But, the tune was easy to pick out.

I frowned, tilting my head to the side as I paused to see if I could recognize the song…

No such luck.

It sounded something along the lines of pop or hip-hop. It could possibly even be rap. I was more into rock n' roll or metal – bands like 'Hollywood Undead' or 'Breaking Benjamin'.

Shrugging, I mashed the doorbell with an elbow, having filled my hands with boxes of pizzas moments ago. It was probably an odd sight to see, but my method of worked. So why fix it? It wasn't broken.

The door almost immediately flew open, revealing a handsomely dressed man with the most startling, yet well-kept sideburns I've seen. Everything about him – from the clothes on his back, the look on his face and the way he presented himself – just screamed player. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from scoffing. _**'Why hello, Danny Zuko.'**_

He smiled at me, trying to appear charming, as he leaned up against the doorframe - playing it cool. "Hi. I'm Hans."

I forced a somewhat-pleasant smile onto my face, nodding. "Hi, Hans. My name's Elsa. As you can see, I have you pizzas. The total is one hundred twenty two plus some change."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He reached a hand out, as if to shake my hand. However, I ignored the offered limb – dumping the ten boxes of pizza into his arms instead. "Here's your meal. You mentioned you were going to be paying cash up front, right?"

He nodded, though his smile faltered slightly. _**'What's wrong, your oh-so-manly charms not working quite as quickly as you had hoped? Don't be so surprised'**_ I thought to myself. However, _my_ smile never faltered.

He disappeared inside, muttering something about needing to get his wallet.

My hands instantly flew up to my hat the moment he was out of sight, tugging it down a little further.

I glanced around at what little of his home I could see, noting how few people were there. Maybe the party had just began? Or maybe he just invited only his closest of friends?

Well, considering how he ordered ten pizzas, it was probably just starting out.

A white couch sitting against the wall opposite to the door, and a somewhat familiar redhead lounging on it grinned at me, giving a wave. I frowned, glancing behind me. Was she waving to... to me?

I turned my gaze back to her, and she rolled her eyes pointedly before nodding.

After a moment of hesitation, I gave a small wave back.

She covered her mouth in a giggle, twirling one of her braids around a finger. I tilted my head, studying her momentarily. Why did she look so damn familiar?

Was she in one of my classes? Or perhaps she came by the pizzeria every now and then? Have I bumped into her at some point or another when shopping? Perhaps we were gaming buddies. Then again, I wouldn't know. I never met any of my gaming buddies face-to-face – save Olaf. We played - surprise, surprise - Left4Dead a lot.

Hans reappeared in the doorway, a wad of cash in hand. He counted out a hundred and twenty three, pocketing the rest. He gave another attempt at bedazzling me with a smile as he handed it over before speaking. "Keep the change. Anyway, tomorrow at eight, I'm going to be dining at one of the finest restaurants in this city. I want you to join me. How's that for a tip?"

The girl on the couch behind him gagged visibly, causing me to snort. Then again, I also found his offer quite unappealing too. It was ridiculous of him to hit on the _delivery_ girl. Did he not have a girl of his own? Or maybe he was trying to prove a point to a gay friend or something similar. "I'd rather the extra thirty cents you gave me as a tip than that."

His smile instantly fell, slight shock crossing his face. It seemed as if Danny Zuko wasn't quite as used to being turned down as all the other guys. Poor, poor baby player. "Are you sure?" Hans asked – his voice no longer quite as pleasant.

The girl behind him rose to her feet, frowning. "Hans, stop hitting on the pizza delivery chick."

If the man heard her, he didn't show it. However, He did begin to back away from the doorway.

"Yes, I'm sure." I mumbled.

He nodded once, though stiffly, before shutting the door. However, the redhead managed to slip outside right before he did.

The corners of her mouth grew up into a cute grin, and I now knew where I had seen her. _**'This is the girl I basically used as a throw pillow earlier today.'**_

"Fancy seeing you around here." She hummed, titling her head as she shoved her hands into her jean pockets.

I nodded, my face heating up slightly from the memory of knocking her down. "Y- Yea, um, s- sorry about earlier today."

The redhead laughed, shaking her head. "Hey, it's no problem. I mean, considering how cute you are, one can't help but not mind being used as a landing pad."

My blush reddened considerably as I tugged on the edges of my beanie. "C- Cute? You're not going to start hitting on me as well, are you? Because, that would basically make you a hypocrite."

The girl laughed, one corner of her mouth pulling up so that the grin was now lopsided. It was quite a distracting sight, the smile. It was the kind of grin that would make you pull over when driving just to kiss the person who wore it at least once. Or repeatedly.

I blinked. **_'Where did _that_ come from?'_**

"Then, a hypocrite I am." The girl giggled, drawing my attention away from that oh-so-distracting smile and up to her teal eyes. "My name's Anna."

"I'm Elsa." I mumbled, taking a step back. "It's nice to meet you, Anna."

The said girl chuckled, drawing out a pack of cigarettes from her jean pockets. She pulled one out, sticking it between her lips as she leaned up against the brick wall of the structure. "I'd offer you a cigarette," The redhead mumbled. "But you're already smoking hot."

I snorted, shaking my head. "Nice try but just a single pick-up line isn't going to work."

Anna hummed, digging around in her pocket for what I assumed was a lighter. "Challenge accepted. By the way, you look familiar. Did we have class together at some point? I could have sworn we had chemistry."

"Not unless we went to the same high school." I rolled my eyes at the pick-up line, shaking my head. "I've got to go. Bye."

Giving a small wave, I turned to leave. However, her voice caused me to pause momentarily. "Hey, do you have a light? I've seemed to have misplaced my book of matches."

I shook my head, glancing over my shoulder at her as I smiled. "No, I don't smoke."

And that was the beginning of a series of meeting. A smile, a name, and a pick-up line.

**That's chapter two! So, please review! Ideas are appreciated! Love,**

**Angel**


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three:

**Two Days Later ; eleven at night**

I was relaxed in my favorite, leather recliner – X-box controller in hand.

A bottle of sprite sat alongside a plate of dark chocolate squares on the coffee table to my right. The speakers I had set up sometime around the previous year all around the room blasted my iTunes playlist, the current song being 'The Drug in Me is You' by the band 'Falling in Reverse'.

"_I felt the darkness as it tried to pull me down!"_

I sang along to the lyrics loudly, not caring whether or not I was on tune with the singer. After all, I _was_ the only one in the room.

"_The kind of dark that haunts a hundred year old house!"_

One of the many Stormcloaks in Windhelm rushed me, and I quickly relieved him of the heavy burdened placed upon his shoulders – his head.

"_I wrestle with my thoughts; I shook the hand of doubt!"_

I cheered at the kill-cam mode, popping a chocolate square into my mouth. I was now in front of the Palace of Kings.

"_Running from my past, I'm praying feet don't fail me now!"_

I rushed inside, following the General. It was time to kill Ulfric at last. Well, sort of. It was getting a little late – especially since it was a school night.

Saving as soon as the game loaded the interior of the palace, I shut my X-box off – doing the same for the speakers. "I think that's enough gaming time for tonight." I yawned to myself, stretching. "I'll bring justice to Ulfric in the morning or something. Then again, class starts at ten. Sooooo, probably not."

'_**Let's see, sleep or justice? Hmmm…'**_ I pondered to myself, leaning my head back against the top of the chair. _**'If I sleep, I make amazing grades… well, as good as I can. If I choose to behead a certain traitor, then I have to wake up a lot earlier and risk falling asleep in class. And… seeing how I already turned my gaming system… Wow, why am I even debating this?'**_

I pulled the blanket resting on my lap up to my shoulders, sighing. _**'That, and considering how sleep holds the key to the one future I'm trying to reach, my hands are kind of tied here… Lucky you, Ulfric. You get to live another day or so.'**_

I snuggled into the plush chair, humming in delight at both the warmth and softness. This wouldn't be the first time I would be falling asleep in my gaming room.

I frowned. _**'Actually, now that I think about it, it's been weeks since I've slept in my bed. I usually wind up in here by day's end to relieve a little stress. Huh…'**_

Shrugging to myself, I went back to snuggling into the back of the recliner. _**'Well, at least I know I have a routine… sort of.'**_

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Taking a sip of the slightly warm, rather creamy hot chocolate in my hands, I gave a shuddering sigh as I let my eyes slide shut. _**'Oh, take me away delicious, chocolate beverage of mine.'**_

Class was _awful_ today. That leprechaun of a teacher, _Weselton, _had screamed at the entire class - _for over forty minutes_!

"The damn midget should've given clearer instructions." I huffed quietly. "How was I supposed to know that we need to draw the damn bridge with beams rather than support lines?"

'_**Then again, my faulty bridge planning may have caused the deaths of millions of little stick families... Oops.'**_

I snorted, despite the sad tragedy, and pulled my coat tighter around myself. I'd draw little bouquets of roses for the families later… I had bigger problem right now. Like the fact of how it was _freezing_ outside. In fact, the clouds that covered every inch of the sky promised snow within the next handful of days. Or at least sleet.

I was okay with either one. After all, winter _was_ my favorite time of the year. 'Tis the season to be jolly, or so they say.

I hummed appreciatively into my cup, nodding to myself as I took a sip. _**'Jolly I am, Jolly I'll be. Unless, of course, it **_**does**_** sleet, and one of my windows shatters… Then I'll be pissed…**_ _**But, as long as I can have a cup of this every day, then I will be at least **_**somewhat **_**happy.'**_

Hot chocolate was the beverage of the heavens. After all, only God himself could be so kind and so intelligent enough to make such a thing possible. _**'Then again, weren't the Mayas were the ones to invent it? So maybe that makes them gods? That **_**would**_** explain how they managed to disappear so fast. They could have just snapped their fingers, and **_**POOF **_**they're in heaven, sitting upon their cocoa thrones.'**_

It _did_ certainly explain quite a few things.

"Oh great and powerful hot chocolate gods, grant me warmth from this oh-so-delicious, six dollar beverage of yours." I mumbled playfully to myself, suppressing a giggle.

"Did you seriously pay six bucks for a drink?" A familiar voice asked suddenly, causing me to jump at the closeness of it.

Luckily, due to the top, I didn't lose a single drop of the said drink.

My eyes snapped open and up to a pair of friendly teal ones, but the pounding in my heart didn't stop. "A- Anna?" I stammered quietly, watching as she tilted her head to the left curiously. The girl hummed in acknowledgement, her gloved hands playing with the zipper on her green jacket. "So I see you remembered my name. That should become _very _useful to you sometime in the near future." The girl giggled, a lift of playfulness residing in her voice. "Do you mind if I sit?"

Huddling down in the collar of my jacket to hide my sudden blush, I slid over in the booth so that there was room for her to sit and then some. "What exactly are you trying to imply?" I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear as I went to take another sip. Oh, dear hot chocolate, calm my nerves… And my still, suddenly racing heart.

She grinned, sliding into the booth beside me – but leaving at least an arm's length of space for my comfort. How thoughtful of her. So, would someone please explain why I felt the need to both push her further away and tug her closer? …Me and my conflicting emotions…

"I was implying that I'd lost my teddy bear and was wondering if I could sleep with you instead."

To put it simply, I nearly choked on my drink.

Sputtering as I set the cup down onto the table in front of me with one hand, the other found its way to my mouth as a series of coughs wracked my body. Both my throat and my lungs burned as the hot liquid found its way into my airway, and my eyes watered at the unpleasant sensation.

Oh dear, why must thou be so cruel to me, oh hot chocolate gods? Why must I choke on such a delicious beverage?

I received no answer, but I suspected that the reason had to do something with the redhead sitting right before me.

After a few moments longer of nearly coughing up a lung and maybe my appendix, I waved off a few worried people – promising them that I was fine and that I was, in fact, not choking on a muffin or anything similar. Not that I bought one… They kind of ran out of double chocolate chip three customers before I got to the counter.

"Hey, are you dying?" Anna quipped, resting her head onto the open palm of her hand as she drew my attention back to her. "Because, I would really love that hat if you do die. Can I have it? Or would you rather be buried with it?"

Tugging my beanie down a tad further, I buried myself into my jacket once more in embarrassment. My gaze found its way to the table in front of me, and my hands fell to my lap. "… How do you know I don't want to be cremated? What if the idea of being buried terrifies me…?"

Anna gave a huff of laughter at my response. "Somehow, I find that rather doubtful about you. You don't look much like a type of chick who enjoys too warm of a climate. I think you'd enjoy the cold more."

I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head curiously. "And how exactly do you know that? Does my expression just _scream_ 'I love snow' or something?"

"No, but your clothes do." The redhead snorted, twirling one of her braids around a finger. "After all, who wears that thin of a jacket in forty degree weather?"

"I thought it felt a tad colder than it should." I muttered, resisting the urge to smirk when she laughed. "But, honestly, you're right. I don't particularly love hot weather."

Anna wrapped her own, thick jacket around her more securely, smirking. "Not me. I prefer the warmth that summer brings than this frigid climate you psychos call winter."

"It's still fall, though…" I deadpanned, watching her nose scrunch up in a rather cute way.

"Ugh. Why do I live here? It gets too cold too fast."

"Don't jinx it." I nearly laughed. However, a smile was beginning to creep its way onto my face. "Next year it just might end up being thirty degrees in late fall rather than forty."

"Considering my luck, I probably just did." Anna groaned, dropping her head down onto the table heavily. "Then again, seeing as how I met you, my luck has been soaring lately."

I felt my face heat up in a blush at the sudden compliment, tugging at the edges of my hat again. "I- I don't see how…"

And I honestly didn't. I usually turned out to be a burden to a lot of people… other than my friends.

The girl turned her head so that she was staring at me, those shocked teal eyes of hers boring into mine. "Seriously? Do you _not_ look into a mirror or something? 'Cause I _will_ buy you one if I have too."

My beanie was now currently covering almost the entirety of both of my ears. Which, actually, was a good thing. It hid how red they were…

However, it did little to conceal the fact that my face was basically ablaze.

Anna smirked at her handiwork, watching as I nodded my head. "I- I have a one…"

She giggled at me, and I lowered my eyes to the table once more. "You are so. Freakin'. Adorable! Also, you may want to let off that hat. Stretch it too far, and you won't be able to be cremated with it like you planned."

I gave a huff of laughter at the unexpected yet expected jibe, lowering my hands to my cup. However, due to her recent compliment, my blush remained in place. "I thought we agreed I was going to be buried. After all, I'm not much of a pyro maniac, remember?"

"Yes, I recall." Anna hummed, finally lifting herself off of the table. "Anyway, speaking of mirrors –"

"I thought we passed this topic already… We're not even on mirrors anymore…"

"I know, but I _just_ remembered a pick-up line involving one, and –"

"Oh, God, not another one." Sliding to the end of the booth, I abruptly stood, snatching up what was left of my drink. However, the girl was still finding it necessary to try and make me blush further. It was as if she were trying to see how long it would take until I passed out from all the blood rushing up to my face.

"Do you have a mirror in your pocket? Because, I can totally see myself in –"

I cut her off, my grip on my beverage denting the thick paper cup. "_Don't _even think about finishing that. You will end up with this drink all over your face. And, if the hot chocolate gods are merciful, it will shut you up."

I've heard that pick-up line so many times my first few weeks at collage, it wasn't even funny.

A nearby man waiting in line gave me a bewildered look as I said this, glancing over at the booth to see whom or what I was currently threatening. Anna raised an eyebrow at him, making a shooing motion with her hands. "Move along now. Nothing to see."

The man glanced back at me, then Anna, and back to me again. "Uhm, Miss… Are you okay?"

Glancing at him, my lips fell down into a frown. "I will be, thank you." I glanced over at the girl, mumbling, "See you, Anna."

He blinked, glancing back at the redhead right as I turned and made my way over to the front of the coffee shop. I had to press through a small crowd to do so, but I managed to get there in one piece. At least, I think so… for all I knew, someone could have stolen one of my ears.

I patted the sides of my head automatically, as if my body was trying to make sure the parts were in their rightful place. Of course, they were.

Pushing the door open – because doors that swung strictly inward were against building regulation – I stepped outside. My boots echoed across the parking lot as I made my way to my sleek, black Civic. Absentmindedly, I took a sip of my not-so-hot-anymore chocolate. Thankfully, it was still as delicious as ever. Then again, when didn't chocolate dance on one's taste buds?

The sudden image of a slightly unwrapped chocolate bar dancing around with a top hat and cane in hand flitted through my mind, causing me to chuckle.

Chocolate never failed to lighten my mood considerably.

"That guy was rather rude, don't you agree?" Anna huffed irritably, her voice sounding from beside me suddenly.

I squeaked – a tad loud might I add – at the abruptness of her voice, snapping my gaze over to where she was walking beside me. Apparently thoughts of dancing chocolate bars had distracted me from noticing the fact that she had followed me out…

Or perhaps she was just that quiet… A ninja in training perhaps?

Somehow, the idea didn't seem as farfetched to me as it should have… Maybe she was planning my assassination as we spoke…

Or maybe she was in alliance with Sebastian! I knew that cat was out to get me!

I narrowed my eyes at her, taking a few steps to the side – creating the required distance I would need in case she _did_ try and murder me.

The girl chuckled, shaking her head. "Jeesh, calm down would you? I'm not going to kidnap you and use you as my main course at a dinner party or anything. From the look you're giving me, one would think you actual believe that's what I'm planning to do to you."

"You may not want to go all Hannibal Lector on me, but my cat might." I muttered, pulling my keys out of my pocket.

I pushed to unlock button, watching as my car gave a small beep in response.

Anna snorted, gazing at me curiously. "You're cat sound wonderful." She stated sarcastically. "What makes you think that it want to take a bite out of you, though?"

"It's the way he looks at me…" I responded, relaxing slightly.

Silence followed, enveloping us in its quiet embrace as we slowly made our way to the car….

Wait…

Why was she following me? Let alone interested in me? I basically ran her over the first time I met her! So… shouldn't she despise me right now?

Hearing a startled yelp, I turned my attention back to Anna right as the girl slipped on a small patch of ice – landing onto the freezing pavement of the parking lot.

Laughter bubbled up in my throat, and I had to bite my lower lip to keep from pointedly giggling at her. It honestly didn't help much. The redhead gave me a mock glare, crossing her arms in a pout as she huffed. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I smirked, shaking my head at her as I forced the laughter down. "Are you having fun down there, or would you like help up?"

The redhead grinned up at me, holding out a hand. "Please."

Taking a hold of the girl's limb firmly, I felt a sudden jolt of… _something _make its way up my arm. I nearly dropped the redhead's hand abruptly at the unexpected sensation, but, seeing as how that'd be rude, I didn't. I did, however, the moment the girl was on her feet once more.

My own hand twitched slightly as I took a step back, wanting to put a little distance between us. _**'What the hell was that…?'**_

Anna brushed off the back of her pants, grin still in place. However, it didn't stay long. "By the way… was I tad too forward in the coffee shop? I mean, I can refrain from using the more… _hinting_ pick-up lines, if you want."

My blush returned, doing its best to battle the cold air around me as I tugged on my beanie once more. I nodded in response, scuffing my boot on the ground as I glanced over at my car. "That would be great… thanks…"

She grinned. "No problem."

A few moments of silence passed between us again, and I glanced back at my car once more. ".. I'm, uh… I'm just going to go…"

The redhead blinked before her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Sure, don't let me keep you."

Anna gave me a wave as I retreated to my car, watching me go.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

**The Next Day**

Yawning, I stretched – feeling each and every bone that popped as I did. And, _boy_, did it feel amazing.

It was around four in the afternoon, but I had been driving around all day. There had been _a lot_ of orders… even if it was still pretty early in the day…

I finished my stretching, stuffing my hands into my jacket pockets.

At the moment, I was on break.

The air around me was cool, rather than cold, causing me to sigh. It had felt rather nice yesterday…

But, winter was coming, and I could be patient and wait. Sooner or later the town would be covered in white, powdery snow… And I would love every second of it.

… As much as my car hated it…

Laughing, I watched in childlike fascination as my breath fogged up around me.

A hat bobbed past me as someone went to pull open the door of the pizzeria. The person was probably craving a late lunch… or an early dinner. However, the figure paused…

My gaze traced out random shapes in the distance – one being a tree twisted where it was fashioned rather oddly.

I hummed, titling my head. _**'I wonder what did that… Perhaps a giant? Or a dragon? Or some force of nature not even I can understand?'**_

The figure from a few moments ago retraced their steps, their head tilting along with mine – blocking my view of the oddly shaped tree.

I frowned, my gaze flitting down to find theirs. And, I was surprised to find that it was a pair of all-too-familiar teal ones.

A grin tugged its way at the redhead's lips, revealing that lopsided, yet oh-so-distracting smile of hers. "Hey, Elsa… Do you believe in love at first sight?" Anna's gaze never left mine, and her grin never faltered as my heart proceeded to give a small leap. "… Or need I walk past you again?"

**BOOM! That was chapter three! Anyway, please review! And thanks for reading! And, WOW eighteen follows already? I love it! Thanks! (Oh, and, special thanks to kaika-chan and t3l4m0n for their ideas!) Ideas and tips are appreciated! Thanks again,**

**Angel**


	4. Chapter Four

**I got a tip from another Author about how I write thoughts. So, from now on, the thought process is going to be in italics. **_Apparently it's easier on the eyes! Is it? I don't own a thing to do with Frozen!_

Chapter Four:

I blinked at the girl in front of me, frowning. "I, uhm, _what_?"

The redhead groaned, her braids swinging back and fro as she dropped her head into her hands heavily. "Don't make me say it again. It ruins the magic…"

A slight blush spread across my face as I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. "I- I heard what you said… You just caught me off guard with the statement…"

"I don't see how." She huffed, raising her gaze back up to my own. "I practically hit on you every chance I get."

Tugging on the edges of my hat, my face reddened even more so. "I don't see why, you don't know anything about me… besides the fact that I talk to non-existent hot chocolate gods that may or may not be the Mayans."

"I still think they ripped you off, with it being a six dollar cup and all. Then again, it was probably worth it at the time." Anna quipped, shoving her gloved hands into her pockets. I shrugged. "I probably was. But, what could I say, they use real chocolate!"

The redhead raised an eyebrow at me, tilting her head curiously. "Enlighten me. How exactly do you know this? They could just be lying to you."

I shook my head at the girl, smirk in place. "I know the girl who runs it. Esmerelda would never do such a thing to her customers. Quality above all else is a personal motto of hers."

Anna hummed, nodding her head. "Which explains why the drink was so expensive…"

"Not really." My shoulders rose and fell with another shrug. "Like you said, it was worth it."

"I said it was _probably _worth it."

"Same thing. Tomato, tomahto."

"Is not. Probably means that it could go either way. Saying that it _is_ means that it's most defiantly certain."

"No shit Sherlock. How'd you figure that one out? Don't tell me… the butler did it?"

The other girl gave an unladylike snort, giving me another one of her distracting grins. "Well, Watson, let's just say I have a sharp eye for the… finer details you could say… I did manage spot you, after all."

"Oh God, please don't start getting all cheesy on me again." I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. I could practically hear her rolling her eyes at me. "Oh, shut it. You know you love my pickup lines… despite probably having heard them hundreds of times before."

I sighed, still not raising my head from my hands. "Well, at least you didn't pretend to be a pirate, like this one guy from my biology class – I think his name was James Hooke…"

Anna's brow drew together in confusion. "Hooke? Wasn't there a guy named that a few years back who kidnapped a couple of high school kids?"

I nodded, my gaze finally rising to meet hers. "Yea. The police managed to find a band of male teenagers, save two girls, trapped in cages in the basement of his home. They called themselves 'the lost boys' and had appointed a rather wild boy named Peter, I believe. Each believed themselves to be in a place called 'Neverland', having somehow joined a fantasy they couldn't wake up from when the drugs became too much for their minds to handle and when their hope dwindled to nothingness…"

The redhead's mouth fell into a slight frown. "Did they ever catch the guy?"

"Sadly, no. He left the scene _days_ before the cops could arrive."

"Shame. Honestly, the man should've been hung for what he did, if he did do it, that is."

I raised an eyebrow questionably at her, frowning myself. "And where did this sudden, violent outburst come from? I wouldn't take you to be the type to just hand out death served on a silver platter so easily…"

The other girl rubbed the back of her neck guiltily, her teal eyes darting anywhere but my own topaz ones. "Well, I'm not… I mean, I don't quite agree with the whole 'death penalty' thing, but some people just deserve it, ya' know? Or, maybe they're just so screwed up in the head, that they need to be locked in an asylum for the rest of their lives… surrounded by the nurses from _'Silent Hill'_."

I shivered, drawing my coat tighter around myself – glancing behind me as if to make sure those… _creatures_... weren't anywhere near me. _'Thank God they aren't real… but one can't help but be wary… right?'_

"_God,_ _no_!" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at her. "That idea in itself is more screwed over than the ending to _'Old Boy'_ or _'Flowers in the Attic'_!"

"Why?" Anna asked, clearing her throat as if to stifle a giggle. "Do the nurses freak you out or something?"

I felt myself shudder once more as I nodded. "Anything that stabs a guy in the eye with a syringe and _moans_ while doing it is defiantly in my book creepy things that should never exist…"

"Perhaps stabbing is just a fetish of theirs." The redhead stated innocently. "After all, they seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely…"

"Please don't remind me." I grumbled, shoving my hands into my coat pockets. "I'll have nightmares of near-faceless nurses chasing me with bloodied scalpels for weeks."

The other girl snorted, her grin returning. "What? Do you prefer your nurses a little less gruesome and a lot sexier?"

I ducked my head in embarrassment as a heated blush spread across my face. "Th- That's not what I meant! I mean, _obviously_ anyone would prefer hotter chicks to those – those… _things…_ that the order considered nurses…"

The girl laughed, shaking her head. The rich, melodic sound filled the air around us. It's light, joyful tone making me want to let go of everything and just laugh – even if just for a little bit. I could feel the sensation building up in my chest, waiting for the right opening to just burst forward suddenly…

However, I squashed the urge as best as I could. And, instead, I raised my gaze once more to watch the mirthful redhead – feeling the corners of my mouth to twitch upward slightly.

The other girl's shoulders shook from the force of her chortling, and it was a few long moments before it ceased.

As soon as it did, teal eyes were boring into mine rather happily, lopsided smile in place. I arched an eyebrow, tilting my head. "Done?"

"I do believe so, yes." She hummed back in response.

"Good." I glanced at my watch, noting the time. Four Twenty. I still had five minutes left for my break.

"Soooooooo," Anna stated, drawing out the word dramatically. "What brings you here? Early dinner? Late lunch? Plotting a robbery? 'Cause I'll totally join in if it's any of those three – especially the last one. Free pizza is the best, even if it's stolen."

"Oh, I work here." I shrugged. "It isn't much, but it gets me through."

The redhead's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, you work _here_? I mean, I knew you were a delivery chick, but I didn't know you worked here! I would have come sooner! Or called the guy who owns this place and insist that you deliver the pizza to my doorstep."

I sighed. "Please tell me you aren't going to start hitting on me again..."

Anna's grin widened, ever-so-slightly. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh God…"

"You know, if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together."

"And there it is. Well, if that's all, I really need–"

"I'm not done yet." The other girl held up a finger in a gesture that clearly said _'wait a moment'_. One of the redhead's hands flew up to her chest, clutching the fabric over her heart in a dramatic motion. "I really hope you know CPR…"

I raised an eyebrow.

"…Because you take my breath away."

"Anything else?" I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Yea," Anna's playful expression slipped away – leaving a stoic mask behind in its wake. "Will you go out with me?"

I blinked, slight shock causing me to freeze as I stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. My mouth opened and closed rapidly as I tried to find something to say, mimicking that of a fish. At a loss for words, who, me?

A few moments of stunned silence passed between us, but Anna didn't seem to mind. In fact, if anything, it seemed as if she were growing a tad braver… as if the fact of me not turning her down right away gave her hope. The problem was that I didn't know if it were false hope that I was giving her – or real.

Tugging my hat down further on my head, I chewed on my lower lip thoughtfully. "…Uhm… I… well…"

The confidence in the redhead's eyes wavered slightly as she tucked a stray strand of copper behind her ear. Perhaps it was a nervous tick of hers?

… Well, if it was, it was a quite an adorable one…Or would a better word be adorkable?

Swallowing thickly, I forced my hands away from my hat and down to my sides – grabbing onto the edge of my coat instead. "…What if I refuse?"

And just like that, the girl's seriousness crumbled away – showing just a flash of hurt before it was replaced with a cool, collect façade. However, her hope never wavered. I could see that much. "Then I'll just have to try harder next time. Even so, I'd still like to eat dinner with you sometime – even if it's just as friends."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "I'm sorry. It's just, well, I barely know you. I'd feel more comfortable going on a date with my best friend Merida – and that idea itself is just awkward even thinking about it. But, I think it'd be fun going out as friends…"

"Awesome!" Anna rubbed her gloved hands together, grinning. "Let's see. How's tonight sound? That is, if you're free."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, aren't we eager?"

"You have no idea… So… are you?"

I sighed, nodding as I rocked back and forth on the heels of my feet. "I am. I get off in an hour or so. If you want, I could have Olaf make us a pizza, and we could share it back at my place."

The other girl raised an eyebrow. "Inviting me over already? This sure escalated quickly… And here I thought you didn't want any of this…"

"Oh, shut it." I growled, resisting the urge to swipe at her playfully. "As long as you aren't stalking me, you're allowed over… even if I technically just met you a few days ago. After all, every one of my friends is welcome in my home."

"I actually wouldn't be that surprised if you actually had a stalker." Anna hummed. "Do you?"

"I used to, but it turned out just to be my friend Jack and his boyfriend playing tricks with my head."

"What'd they do?"

"Well, they would tap on my bedroom window at night, call from a payphone a breath heavily into the receiver, and they even broke into my house one time to try and startle me."

Anna blinked. "Seriously? What happened?"

"Well, my cousin Rapunzel was staying with me that night. So, one of them ended up with a frying pan to the face whilst the over was nearly stabbed by my own hand. Jack is _so_ lucky that he managed to roll out of the way in time." I sighed. "Hiccup had to go to the hospital though."

The redhead snorted, shaking her head. "It serves him right, though. One shouldn't stalk another unless they know what they're doing."

I laughed. "I suppose."

"By the way," Anna hummed, tilting her head. "Can I get a ride when you go to leave? I usually walk everywhere, and I don't quite know where you live. Soooo, carpooling with you would be both quicker and easier."

I blinked at the sudden change in topic, slightly surprised. "Well, I suppose. I mean, as long as you let the driver pick the music."

"No problem." Anna smirked. "Passenger here will sit back and shut the fuck up. After all, the music choice should always be the driver's. And, thanks."

"No problem." I shrugged.

Before the conversation could continue any further, however, the door of the pizzeria swung open with a jingling noise, drawing both her teal and my topaz gazes to it. Merida stuck her head out, eyes locking onto mine – her mouth set into a thin frown. "Oy, Els, get yur blonde arse in 'ere! Yur break's been up for five minutes, now!"

My eyed widen at the redhead's words. "Shit! Why didn't you come and get me five minutes ago, then?!" My voice raised four or five octaves as I rushed into the warm pizza shop – forgetting to bid Anna a farewell.

"Well, I was a tad preoccupied, lass! Olaf had meh stackin' the tomatoes from biggest to smallest! Lord only knows why…" The Scot huffed, shaking her head.

I chortled, shaking my head. "Olaf has an odd sense of cleaning up…"

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

The same moment my car unlocked with a familiar beep, an arm slung itself around my neck. "Ready to go, Els~?"

I raised an eyebrow, turning my head slightly to look at my companion. "Since when do you call me Els…?"

"Ever since that other chick called you by that name." Anna hummed, skipping to the other side of the car. "I slide in on this side, don't I? Or is this one of those English cars or something?"

I rolled my eyes, sliding into the driver's seat – cranking the car as the redhead slid into the passenger side. Afterwards, I tossed the pizza into the back seat. "I don't think Honda sells cars in England. Then again, I have been proven wrong before."

I clicked my buckle into place, reaching over and pressing the play button in the radio. Falling in Reverse immediately greeted both my own and Anna's ears.

"_I was lost. Now I'm found. I'm sustained by the sound of the angels singing me to sleep,"_

The redhead grinned, leaning back in the seat as she bobbed her head along to the beat of the song. "Raised by Wolves? Nice choice."

"_While my feet are leaving the ground. Am I dead? Or am I dreaming instead?"_

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You know this song?"

Anna puffed out her chest proudly, grinning. "Know the song? I know the damn band! Falling in Reverse is my favorite!"

"_A cornucopia of opiates has flooded my head! I'm insane! I am smart! All it takes, is a spark,"_

I blinked. "Seriously?! Anna whatever-your-last-name-is, why didn't you tell me this when we first met?!" A full grin was tugging at my lips at the current moment as I excitedly motion to the radio.

She shrugged. "It didn't occur to me. Why?"

"_To ignite my bad intentions, to do what I do best to you heart!"_

"Outside of gaming, music basically defines my life! Excluding work and school, that is. Name a decent rock band, and I've more than likely fan-girled over them at some point. _Including _the eighties." I stated, shifting the vehicle into reverse. "You can tell from my game room and iTunes playlist. I've got posters of my favorite band covering almost every inch of the wall, and almost all the songs on the playlist consists of all my favorite rock songs."

"_Don't be fooled, I was raised by the wolves!"_

Anna's eyes widened slightly. "Seriously? You're not playing a prank on me or something?"

I shook my head, pulling out of my parking space and into the street. "I wouldn't lie about something as amazing as Rock N' Roll, Anna… Trust me…"

"_Now the moon hangs in full, so you know I won't play by the rules!"_

**Done~ Okay, yea, I had MAJOR writers block, so this took FOREVER to write. (plus, I kept pulling up more n' more fanfics to read myself… sorry..)**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Ideas and tips are welcome! See an error? PM me!**

**Angel**


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